Insurance changes coming to JMCSS
WEST JACKSON — Some employees with the Jackson-Madison County School System could begin paying more for health insurance starting in January. Typically the district follows state requirements for coverage. Tennessee did not increase premiums this year, but the district voted unanimously to do so. If employees choose to stay with their current plans, some monthly payments will increase by 30 percent. “The teachers or the employees still have the option to keep their plan,” said Lorrie Butler with the Tennessee Education Association. “But if they keep what they currently have and they’re on a family plan, the board is saying you’re going to pay more for it even though we’re not paying more for it.” The district is adding a new limited-choice plan to comply with the Affordable Care Act. It could mean lower monthly payments, but out of pocket costs go up. To offset that, the district says it would partner the plan with a “gap plan,” which will pick up portions of those costs. “It is not mandated that an employee choose that option, but it is available to our employees,” said Superintendent Verna Ruffin. “And it does come with potential cost saving to the employee in terms of their monthly premiums.”
